VK

Vivek

Also known as: Vivek Kumar, Vive Kumar

Thompson Rivers University, Smart Informatics Limited, University of Saskatchewan, Bharathiar University, Athabasca University: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

ORCID iD 0000-0003-3394-7789
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About

Dr. Vivekanandan S. Kumar is Associate Dean (Flexible Delivery) and Full Professor in Computing at Thompson Rivers University, Canada.

Imagine a world where software agents living among your computing devices teach, play, study and mentor you -- motivating your interests, challenging you on ethics, enhancing your social development, nurturing your trust, globalising your presence, and improving the way you live and learn. His research focuses on such anthropomorphic cognified neural AI agents, which mimic and advance human-like traits, to assist learners.

He earned a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, as the best graduating student in 2001, a master degree in Computer Applications (first rank) and a baccalaureate degree in Physics (third rank) from India. His professional career was launched in 1990 as a Scientist at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing in Mumbai, India. During this tenure, he won a United Nations fellowship to train at the Learning Research and Development Centre, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA. During his first academic appointment in 2001 as Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University, Surrey, Canada, he worked as an Educational Technologist with the Asian Development Bank to develop an online learning infrastructure and a master’s degree programme in educational technology for the Open University of Sri Lanka. He was a Senior Lecturer with Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand from 2006 to 2008, before returning to Canada as Associate Professor at Athabasca University.

With backing from major funds from NSERC, SSHRC, and CFI, he has become an active member and contributor to the Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) research community. With over 175 peer-reviewed research publications in journals, conferences, and book chapters, he strives to advance cognification in human learning and in machine learning. He has memberships with IEEE (senior member) and AIED. He is passionate about humanity+, knowledge economy, social change through science fiction, and ICT empowered EDI.

Employment

  • Thompson Rivers University Associate Dean (Flexible Delivery)
    2024 - Present
  • Smart Informatics Limited President and CEO
    2017 - Present
  • Athabasca University: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Research and Study Leave (sabbatical)
    2016 - 2017
  • Smart Informatics Limited Director
    2014 - 2017
  • Athabasca University Associate Dean
    2014 - 2015
  • Athabasca University Chair
    2013 - 2015
  • Athabasca University Program Director
    2013 - 2014
  • Athabasca University Full Professor
    2008 - 2024
  • Athabasca University Associate Professor
    2008 - 2015
  • Simon Fraser University Adjunct Professor
    2006 - 2008
  • Open University of Sri Lanka Team Leader / Educational Technologist / Instructional Designer Multimedia Specialist
    2006 - 2006
  • Massey University Senior Lecturer
    2006 - 2008
  • Simon Fraser University Co-Director
    2004 - 2006
  • Simon Fraser University Assistant Professor
    2001 - 2006
  • Technical University of BC Assistant Professor
    2001 - 2002
  • University of Saskatchewan Part-time PhD student
    2001 - 2001
  • University of Saskatchewan Full-time PhD student
    1995 - 2000
  • University of Saskatchewan Research Assistant
    1995 - 1999
  • University of Pittsburgh United Nations Fellow
    1992 - 1993
  • Centre for Development of Advance Computing (previously, National Centre for Software Technology) Scientist
    1990 - 1995

Education

  • University of Saskatchewan Ph.D. (Computer Science) title: Helping the helper in peer help networks
    ? - 2001
  • Bharathiar University M.C.A (Computer Science)
    ? - 1990
  • Bharathiar University B.Sc (Physics)
    ? - 1987

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (221)